ANYONE who braved the chilly winds along the Newcastle coastline on Wednesday was treated to a spectacularly close encounter with some passing humpback whales.
The majestic mammals swam just 50 metres off the shore at one stage, to the awe of onlookers around Newcastle Baths.
It's estimated that 40,000 whales are passing the Hunter coast along the "humpback highway" between May and November as they migrate north to breed in the warmer tropical waters off the Great Barrier Reef.
Newcastle Herald photographer Peter Lorimer was there on Wednesday to capture the playful humpbacks breaching the surface.
It was almost colder out of the water on Wednesday as Newcastle reached a top of 20 degrees and was buffeted by 78-kilometre wind gusts from the south-west during the afternoon.
It led to the Bureau of Meteorology issuing a gale warning for the Hunter coast on Wednesday evening.
The warning is also in place for Thursday with large and powerful surf conditions expected to be hazardous for coastal activities such as boating and rock fishing.
Cessnock, Lake Macquarie and Maitland reached a top of 19 degrees on Wednesday.
Newcastle is expected to reach a top of 17 degrees on Thursday with a slight chance of an afternoon or evening shower.
The rain is expected to increase across Friday, before the showers peak on Saturday, with between five and 20 millimetres forecast.
